Undiagnosed acute HIV infection identified through RNA testing of pooled serum samples obtained during a dengue outbreak in São Paulo, Brazil

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Elaine Monteiro Matsuda, Daniela Rodrigues Colpas, Norberto Camilo Campos, Luana Portes Ozorio Coelho, Andreia Moreira dos Santos Carmo, Luís Fernando de Macedo Brígido
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: HIV; Acute disease; Dengue; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0370-2016; https://doaj.org/article/5cd29afe709f429b87d0c9b42e5636b5

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Improving HIV diagnostics and treatment is necessary to end the AIDS epidemic. Pooled plasma can be used to identify patients with acute HIV disease, even before serological tests. During dengue outbreaks, patients having symptoms common to other acute viral diseases might seek medical care. METHODS: We evaluated HIV RNA in pooled seronegative dengue samples. RESULTS: After excluding individuals with a known HIV diagnosis, an HIV-1 prevalence of 0.73% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23-1.76; 4/546 samples] was found. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting strategies to diagnose these individuals and provide them with medical treatment might be instrumental for controlling the HIV epidemic.